Science Highlights

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 First look at cellulose’s early production could hold keys to bacteria-free medical devices, better biofuel

By using the high-energy X-rays produced by the Advanced Photon Source at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, researchers from the University of Virginia have discovered how cellulose is produced at the molecular level.

 May 14, 2013
A look at the Advanced Photon Source. To view a larger version of the image, click on it.
 The superpower behind iron oxyfluoride battery electrodes

A team of scientists utilized high-energy X-rays from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to investigate the fundamental basis for the performance advantage offered by mixed-anion iron oxyfluoride conversion electrodes over electrodes made of simple oxide or fluoride phases.

 April 18, 2013
In roaming radical reactions, one bond in a molecule becomes greatly extended and, before the nascent radicals completely separate, they reorient and react, leading to unexpected products.
 Dynamic separability of multiple reaction pathways

Paper shows that tight and roaming pathways may be treated as separable to a good approximation. Authors identify features of the potential energy landscape that serve as mechanism dividers.

 April 15, 2013
Photo courtesy Alfred T. Palmer
 Study shows that 'brown carbon' contributes more to climate change than previously believed

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have recently shown that brown carbon contributes approximately three-fourths as much of a warming effect as black carbon, despite not typically being seen as a principal contributor to climate change.

 February 18, 2013
“Single crystals are ideal materials to obtain a fundamental insight into the processes that are controlling reaction rate,” said Argonne physical chemist and materials scientist Vojislav Stamenkovic.
 Looking at electrocatalysis at mesoscale

In the quest to develop technologies that can efficiently convert and store energy from electrochemical systems, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have designed new materials that can substantially improve the performance of the current state-of-the-art electrocatalysts.

 December 4, 2012
Atomic “speckle," caused by the interaction of an X-ray beam with itself, could give scientists more information about the thermodynamic properties of a material system.
 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Atom

By using extremely short bursts of intense X-rays, a team of researchers from Argonne, McGill University, Boston University, DESY and LCLS is able to investigate the “speckle” patterns that are generated when a coherent X-ray beam of light interacts with a material, especially liquids.

 November 2, 2012
A team of Argonne researchers and collaborators are improving access to interpreted and analyzed genomes, which can lead to new strategies to combat biothreats such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus.
 Research moves at the speed of availability

A team of Argonne researchers and collaborators are improving access to interpreted and analyzed genomes, which can lead to new strategies to combat biothreats such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus.

 October 31, 2012
The civilian MARIA Research Reactor in Poland was converted from operation with highly enriched uranium fuel to low enriched uranium. Image source: Nuclear Power Daily.
Argonne supports Poland's NCNR in converting reactor to LEU

The civilian MARIA Research Reactor in Poland was converted from operation with highly enriched uranium fuel to low enriched uranium.

 October 23, 2012
Argonne's Shih-Yew Chen, Senior Environmental Systems Engineer, has been appointed by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to serve a three-year term on the EPA Radiation Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board.
 Chen appointed for second term to EPA Advisory Board

Shih-Yew Chen has been appointed to serve a three-year term on the Environmental Protection Agency Radiation Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board.

 October 19, 2012
Argonne researchers studied the process by which Escherichia coli, and other pathogenic bacteria, divide. (Image credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH)
 Argonne, Harvard research team probe mechanisms regulating bacterial cell division

A Midwest Center for Structural Genomics collaborative effort between Argonne and Harvard University researchers has investigated the control of certain cell division hydrolases, called amidases, required for Escherichia coli and other pathogenic bacteria cell division.

 October 12, 2012